The functionality of surface hydroxyls on selective CH4 generation from photoreduction of CO2 over SiC nanosheets.

The surface hydroxyls on SiC nanosheets provide local protons, stabilize intermediates and localize photogenerated electrons in the deep photoreduction of CO2, significantly promoting the efficiency and selectivity of CH4 yield. This study describes the surface reaction for selective CO2 reduction based on both thermodynamic and kinetic requirements.